WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 14 June 1926, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

AFTER TWENTY YEARS. TRIBUTE TO GREAT LEADER. (Special to “ Guardian.”) WELLINGTON, June 11. The gathering around his statue in the grounds of Parliament House yesterday, the twontieh anniversary of his death at sea when returning to “ God’s Own Country ” from a visit to Australia, was just what ..Mr Seddon himself would have desired could he have looked into the future. .Many old West Coasters were there, a sprinkling of Civil servants of various degrees, groups of -mothers and wives and daughters, a few business men, politicians that know and remembered and a liravo leaven of workers, some grey and bent, some bronzed and supple, and all deferential to labour’s sturdy friend. As the crowd drew nearer to the statue and hats came off to the speakers. a chubby little lad of six or seven, untended it seemed, with his hat tilted to his shoulders and his hands at his hack, pushed his way to the front and completed the picture of New Zealand, young and old. paying tribute to the memory of a great man whose good works had lived long beyond the politicians allotted span. The little company. perhaps two hundred strong, was not drawn together by idle curiosity, nor by tiny spectacular display, but by affectionate reiixombraiice of a dauntless leader who had given a new mean"

iug and a wider significance to the word humanist and had blazed the track for ameliorating legislation the

world over. ECHOES OF THE PAST

Mr J. .T. McGrath, one of the many young West Coasters to whom Air Seddon had opened the way to opportunity and aehievemnt, in asking the Hon. Roderick McKenzie to lay a wreath at the foot of tile statue touched the heart of the crowd by quoting two or three passages from the Liberal leader’s latest utterances. Tt was a. month before his death. Air AleOrath. icralled. that Air Seddon again had proclaimed himself a humanist. “ The legislation T have brought to hear upon the human side of lilt'.*’ he had added, addressing a Wellington audience, •• is the legislation which counts most with me. T desire to improve the condition of the people, to inspire them with hope, to provide fof their comfort and to improve them socially, morally and politically.’’ Another quotation was from a speed) he delivered as he was leaving .Melbourne to meet his tragic passage. “ There are no unemployed in New Zealand,” he said. “ A large number of workless people is a terrible reproach to a nation and in those sellgoverning colonies there should he no one unemployed. At the creation of the world it never was intended by the Divine ALaster that only a few should have the enjoyment of the good things and that countless thousands should want food.” AIT AfoKenziehs tribute to his former chief concluded the impressive and inspiring ceremony. THE CABINET. The substantial story told by the 11 Pose ” last evening to the effect that Air K. S. AYilliams. the member for Bay of Plenty, had been offered a seat in the Cabinet and had accepted the portfolio of Public Works has been neither officially confirmed nor officially contradicted at the time of wilting. The general opinion is. however, that Afr Coates would hesitate to add still another member to his .Ministry, which already outnumbers the War .Ministry, and. apart from electioneering, has not half as much to do as that combination. But if there were room in the Cabinet for another Minister Mr Williams’s appointment would be a-bighly popular one. the member for Bay of Plenty having earned the warm regard of all parties in the House, not more by his charming personality than by his ready and intelligent grasp of all public questions. One would not have expected him to he given the portfolio of Public Works, since his training and experience have not lain in that direction ; but as .Minister of Lands or Minister of Education or .Minister of Native Affairs he would have been a most excellent selection. The only objection to his promotion from the politician’s point of view would he that he has a rare facility for seeing both sides of a question. Though the most loyal of allies he is incapable of being a blind partisan.BUS REGULATIONS. The fateful day for the enforcement of the bus regulations concerning the private bus services within the city has conic and gone and nothing appears to have happened. The bust's are running as usual, charging the same old fares, and so far they have encountered no trouble. The Government. after communicating with Sir Francis Roll, so the street humourist says, has adroitly shifted the responsibility of solving the problem, on to the City Council, and the Council apparently cannot, make up its mind what to do. The “ Post ” hist evening said what most people are thinking of the local authority. “ Alotor-bus regain-

tions came into operation to-day,’' it said. “ and the Wellington City Council, the lidensing .authority for the city and suburban area, is quite unprepared to carry out its duties. This is not a new, experience. People who have had business with the Council have come to accept it as a matter of course that the Council is never ready with prepared plans and organisation.” There may He developments to-day or to-morrow, hut the hesitancy of ilic Government, and the timidity of tlio Council have vastly increased the difficulties of tlio situation, and it may come to pass that the Courts will lie invoked to determine what is to he done. At present the public is looking on with amusement.